What If?
by magensby
Summary: Take the events that happened but allow them to follow a different course. How might their endings change?


**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**What If?**

(A little story for Sarah A. Hope that you like it.)

**Chapter 1**

This hotshot lawyer dances into town to defend the town pariah, Mitchell Laurence. I am young and brash, a know-it-all with credentials to back up my claims. The city girl coming in to show the small town hicks how we operate in the big city. I won my case but instead of gathering my winnings and putting this town behind me I stay on a while to see what town life is all about.

It doesn't take me long to knock heads with the bad boy in town, Todd Manning. He and I didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things. Can't fault him for that. We were on different sides of the battle and I play to win.

Then comes my liaison with town mobster, RJ Gannon. His taste for the finer things in life was an appeal that drew me in his web. Someone with whom to share art, music, dance, fine food and a flair for dress made him all the more attractive. Too bad that he was a control freak and wanted to rein in my independent spirit. This girl didn't make it this far by allowing others to limit where she can go what she can do.

How do I explain that one combustible moment with Lieutenant John McBain? Never in my wildest dreams did I see that one coming from a mile away. It was wrong on so many levels. One I was involved with RJ at the time and two it was unprotected sex. I opened myself up for all kinds of trouble (pun intended).

But in a way it helped me by giving me an out of the oppressive relationship with RJ. Even though RJ was correct in accusing me of 'sleeping with the enemy' I never confirmed his suspicions and instead broke up with him for his controlling manner.

Little did I know that the encounter with McBain should have clued me into knowing that a fire will fizzle out with time.

If left to our own devises perhaps John and I could have had something really remarkable but that was not to be. He had a line to his past that just kept tugging at his present that prevented him from moving on into the present and the future. That past line was not his dead fiancée but the living and breathing Natalie Buchanan. Although as time went along I blamed Natalie for interfering in my relationship with John but I soon realized that it was misdirected blame. John was to blame for allowing her to take time away from us and I was to blame for putting up with him doing it. It took me a while to figure it out but not before my heart was crushed when he professed his love for her. Something he never did for me, the woman with whom he was involved.

Why didn't I learn from that fiasco with RJ to guard my heart and always be the one in control? Maybe I was mesmerized at first by the rush of sneaking around with John. Then when we attached strings maybe I was excited about how far this relationship might go. But it was not to be. I kept making mistakes choosing the men in my life but one thing I can see though is the pickings were very slim in Llanview.

That dinner date with Dr. Phil Jameson would never go any further than just dinner. I would always think that he's trying to psychoanalyze me. Maybe I should have let him. Not as my boyfriend but to help me learn why I keep making these horrible decisions.

If only I had allowed the psychoanalysis then it would have spared me from the worst decision ever, a relationship with Cristian Vega. They call the WCW wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin. You can describe Cristian as stone cold caveman and that is not a compliment. Why did I ever get involved with someone who was married to Natalie? It was bad enough that I got involved with John, someone who wanted a relationship with Natalie before he and I hooked up. That should have told me that John had no taste in women and wouldn't know a good one if they bit him. I must have been brain dead to get involved with Cristian. Of course it didn't work with him.

I was looking for love in all of the wrong places and gave away my goodies to men who didn't deserve them and didn't appreciate them.

It took me surviving several near death experiences to come to my senses. The last one almost killed me for sure but it made me see that I was better alone without these men than I was with them.

After recovering from the carbon monoxide poisoning by the OPP group I worked with Todd to find and claim his son. Now that is one relationship that went right. Todd and I work better as friends. We were smart not to cross that line into lovers.

At one time I thought about leaving Llanview and going somewhere else without all the memories but I knew that I would be running away instead of facing all of my wrong decisions. Nora and Todd convinced me that I can have a life in Llanview and those who didn't appreciate me when I was a part of their life will just have to grin and bear it as I succeed in spite of them.

So, here I am still in Llanview. I'm now a judge in the courtroom where I used to argue cases. Nora is still DA and Todd is still editor of his newspaper.

Todd is now married to someone who is not Blair. They have a baby on the way. It's a girl so Starr will have some competition as 'daddy's girl'.

Nora is married too and not to any of the Buchanan men. She too realized that she could have a life outside of them. Her husband is the head of a multinational corporation with headquarters in Philadelphia. They met on a vacation cruise when Nora was getting over her latest back and forth with Bo about why he couldn't commit to her. She lives in a mansion that puts Llanfair and the Buchanan mansion to shame. Matthew divides his time between her and Bo.

Now as for me I am happy and comfortable in my life. I have family and friends to support me. Layla's in Paris working for a fashion company and she's doing quite well. My mother visits on occasion but she knows that I am happy so she's not so worried about me anymore. Uncle Clay still checks in with me. He says that he always will and I thank him for it.

RJ still dabbles in the mobster arena but nothing for which he will serve hard time. He's still single and seems satisfied to be so.

John and Natalie are still on and off. They've never married even though they have a son together.

Cristian is Cristian and stays out of my way for which I am grateful.

I will always be Evangeline Williamson, the firecracker lawyer who swept into Llanview so many years ago.

Today I'm Judge Evangeline Cassadine, wife of Stefan Cassadine and mother to two (2) beautiful children Alexander and Iliana, ages five (5) and three (3) respectively.

With Nikolas now of age to rule the Cassadine family, Stefan stepped down and left to find a life of his own. With Helena dead and all threats to Nikolas' authority neutralized Stefan decided he could leave Port Charles. One sunny day in Paris, at an outside table at a quaint bistro, he met a beautiful young lady who had a beautiful smile and sparkling eyes. Something about her intrigued him and he spent the rest of his time in Paris in her company.

Stefan Cassadine never dreamed of such a life. Always staying alert to Helena's next maneuver and trying to keep Nikolas from harm. Those things kept him busy but that trip to Paris allowed him time to think about what he wanted out of life. He knows that he has the capacity to love and would like to share his life with someone.

Just so happens Evangeline was in Paris to think also about her life. After surviving the gas attack she left town to think without interruptions.

That is where and when she met Stefan. They were both at a crossroads in their lives. They decided to join forces and have a life together. It didn't take them long to come to that decision.

So now they are happy and secure. Neither could have asked for anything better.

The End.


End file.
